Fantasy Basketball: Does Trading LeBron James for Kristaps Porzingis Make Sense?

By Fansided and Nathan Beighle/FanSided via King James Gospel
Published

Obviously the NBA and fantasy sports are different, but can trading LeBron James for Kristaps Porzingis be justified in even fantasy basketball?

Recently, I saw a trade that straight up swapped Kristaps Porzingis for LeBron James in a fantasy basketball league, and now we must see if this trade made any sense.

Last season the NBA was taken by storm by Kristaps Porzingis, a 7’3″ power forward from Latvia. This young international talent was taken fourth overall, and he directly caused scrutiny among the NYK front office.

Quickly after the season began, this ginormous foreigner starter to excel in almost every aspect of the NBA game. He finished his rookie season with 14.3 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, 1.9 blocks per game, and 1.1 threes per game, and all those numbers are up from last season.

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Kristaps Porzingis has all the makings of a fantasy legend, so why would anyone trade him away for LeBron James that will be turning 32 soon and taking the occasional rest game?

Before we get more into the logic behind it, we must explain the league style. In this league every year, each team keeps three players from the previous year. Personally, I have Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler, and Mike Conley who I continue to keep. Don’t worry, I know I’m set for a while.

As for them, LeBron James was taken from the six place team and added to first place team while KP transitioned from first to six.

With that said, let’s take a look into the logic behind this blockbuster trade.

Nov 20, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) shoots on a technical during the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Kristaps Porzingis could be the future of fantasy basketball.

A high-volume scorer that is an international and came into the league when he was 20, who does that remind of you? If you guessed Dirk Nowitzki, you guessed correctly. Kristaps Porzingis does everything the same or better than this perennial German All-Star.

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    Dirk, who had nine straight season of scoring 20+ points per game, rebounded mediocrely, and has dreadful defensive stats, was a terrific fantasy option in his prime, and remember: fantasy sports is only about the stats. 

    With that said, Porzingis, who could score 20+ points, snag 7+, block 2+ shots, and make 2+ threes per game could easily be the future of fantasy sports. His type of talent is unique, and it is rarely found among other fantasy players. DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, and Karl-Anthony Towns are the only other players that will be able to duplicate KP’s numbers for the next several seasons.

    Along with the reasons to trade for KP, there may be reasons to trade the King away. The three season after Michael Jordan, the greatest player in his generation, turned 32, he averaged 28+ points per game and played in all 82 games. As James is set to turn 32 this season, it is expected that he continues his current numbers for another 3-4 seasons.

    But is that assurance enough to trade for him?

    Dec 9, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives as Miami Heat guard Wayne Ellington (2) defends during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 114-84. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

    LeBron James is still a fantasy-God.

    In every single season LeBron James has been in the NBA, he has averaged 20+ points per game. And that pace will not be slowing down anything soon. Most experts expect LeBron to be continuing to play basketball well into his late 30’s.

    For fantasy owners this is music to their ears. LeBron James, who is on a nightly triple-double watch, has continued to excel at every aspect in the game. While KP may be the future, LeBron will continue to be the star in the NBA for years to come.

    While many think the improved Cavaliers may have caused LeBron’s numbers to dip, he has certainly proved them wrong by averaging a career-high 9.1 assists per game, and it turned out that the “Diplomats” (the team that traded for him) was one of the weakest assists teams.

    With the other team “Superbad” slipping in the rankings, it was time that he prepare for the future while allowing Diplomats to blossom in the present.

    This deal seemed fair enough for both side and both owners obviously agreed, and now we need your opinion. Was this a fair deal for both sides in the fantasy realm? Tell us in the comments or on Twitter.